Project Top Gunman: Ace Combat

Chapter 30: The Lighthouse And The Beacon Of Light (Short Chapter before M19)

After being on the air for awhile and since Crimson 1 dead alongside Shilage defenders surrendered. Trigger get on the comms to his squadmates when he realized something. "Guys, I'm going to land and check on Prez, call in the transport and rendezvous with Cyclops."

Trigger look for a spot to land, as he sees the tunnel Sol squad used to take off. He lands there and gets off to check Prez. "Robin? Prez?" His face sank of Prez's state, which he looks for a oxygen tank and mask, as he then gave it to her to breath through.

Trigger: C'mon, please Prez. Please...

Prez weakly opened her eyes and then coughed to catch her breath, which Trigger stops and was relieved. Which he embraces her. "Oh thank God! I thought I'd lost you."

Prez: Hey, I know that you cared for me and I know the risks to it. And there will be limits. So what happened?

Trigger: It's a long story Crimson's dead. And...

Trigger have Prez brought up to what happened, as he tells her the battle that happened case she must've forgotten much of it. Which it was hectic as hell.
"From big cordium orbs of death, railguns flying all over, missiles everywhere and me losing my shit about you."

Prez: Seriously? You were making a fuss about it?

Trigger: Yeah, well I did took most of it onto Crimson.

Prez: So, what happened to Mister X?

Trigger: He... Well I shot him down by accident either so it's intentionally or not. We'd ended up in a truce to take down Crimson given of him being a danger to pretty much all of us.

Prez: It's all over then, that bastard's gone for good.

Trigger: Yeah... what we did was much likely robbing people of their sense of peace. And then there's Crimson, what he did was unforgivable.

Prez: Considering when the first one happened with the satellites, and witnessing the second happen here. It's very sad to see it.

Trigger: Either way the only thing for this land to do is heal. Things will recover even if it has to take some years. Anyway I checked the base, while looking oxygen for you. And, it turns out that this place have enough fuel and supplies.

Prez: What about planes.

Trigger: Oh, they're there but I doubt any of us are going to use them.

Prez chuckles as She and Trigger watch outside with each other for some peace and quiet until the transport plane arrived, and they later returned back to base. As debriefing begins once everyone was all seated.

Jaeger: The resupply went well. We should be okay on food and fuel reserves for a little while, at least. Luckily, the rumor that the Erusean Army is advancing nearby is only a rumor. There's no sign of them from the skies. Rumors rumors, rumors. This is what happens when you lose communications.

But we got one good fact. The plane Trigger shot down was an advanced model of the X-02 Wyvern. It was developed in the last Continental War. Erusea had a lot up their sleeves. And for the aircraft piloted by Crimson 1, Trigger also shot down. Is identified as the Project Wingman Mark 1, in short as PW-MK1.

It is a mit mashed creation of the CFA-44 and data from the X-02, made by Estovakia. Apparently it was developed now in this year, and Crimson somehow got his hands on it. What if Trigger couldn't shoot those two down? Just thinking about it gives me chills. We're lucky to be here.

In war, you never know what's lurking behind the curtains. But it looks like everything's loose now. A solid chain of command, rest periods after sorties, a battlefield where you know friend from foe... All of that's gone now. Lost in a fog of confusion. It feels like a distant dream. Now, just how the hell are we gonna get out of this mess?

Just after Jaeger finished the building shooks as the base was under attack, as the LRSSG scrambled to repel whoever attacked them.

Timeskip

One week passed and the LRSSG have been doing air operations that involves patrols for the past week, as a briefing was held and everyone all attended.

Jaeger: Let's get the briefing started.

Count: We've done enough air operations. Just let us go home.

Jaeger: There's no path for us to get home. Whatever direction you fly, it'll be right into a hail of enemy fire. Earlier, we received a communication-via the partially-restored general network. Here is what it contained. Apparently, the Erusean radicals have gathered around the space elevator... as it's a source of energy.

Jaeger drew on the map of concentrated forces of Ersuean Radicals on the Space elevator's area. “Give the warmongers a powerful energy source, and you give them the luxury to keep on fighting.
In response to this, people from both Osea and Erusea have joined forces... and will take down the final Arsenal Bird in a saturation attack from the air and sea.”

Jaeger: Once that's achieved, they'll take the space elevator from the aggressors.

Skald: Has the source been verified?

Lanza: It could be fake.

Jaeger: I hear you, but take a look at what's written at the end.

Jaeger pulls up a message attached to the data, as he reads it to everyone. "Hey, dumbass. If you want to bring the world back from the brink, go to the lighthouse. You can see the future there." That caused Tailor to question what the word was in the end. “Dumbass?”

Huxian: Sounds familiar.

Jaeger: It certainly does. It's from those guys we met in Tyler Island: the 444 Squadron. It's a message to all those looking to end the war. But I also think it's a message for Trigger.

Trigger looked to Prez as she made a determined face and nods her head, which Trigger stood up. Which Fencer spoke when he sees Trigger gets up.
“I guess we'll do what it says.”

Skald: Okay, well then I'm thinking we go roast that damn bird.

Jaeger: Looks like we're all on the same page. It's time to end this war. Time to fly, guys! let's go get that Arsenal Bird!

Trigger: And after that, we fly home!

“Hear, hear!” Everyone agrees as they readied their planes and took off to Gunther Bay.